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Weekend Movie Forecast: Robin Hood Vs. Letters To Juliet

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One of the good things about Robin Hood premiering at, and opening the Cannes film festival is that all of the reputable film critics sent overseas could bang out their review for this before writing about more substantial material. There have been many interpretations of the story about the biggest punk in Sherwood forest and one wonders why we need another (other than to see Russell Crowe scream and Blanchett look pale and grave). This movie is predicted to fuel the flames of a certain conservative group as The Passion of the Christ riled up another certain conservative group a few years back. They could have just had Wes Anderson use his leftover puppets from Fantastic Mr. Fox and animate them to the audio of Disney's version, or at the very least just finish one of the Pablo Escobar movie's they've been talking about for years.Reviews have been mediocre with Karina Longworth from <a href="http://www.villagevoice.com/2010-05-11/film/ridley-scott-s-robin-hood/">The Voice</a> saying: "Instead of robbing from the rich to give to the poor, this Robin Hood preaches about "liberty" and the rights of the individual as he wanders a countryside populated chiefly by Englishpersons bled dry by government greed. Conservatives will never again be able to complain that Hollywood ignores their interests, but the driving agenda behind the Nottingham makeover was most likely economic: Robin Hood is, above all, a boilerplate origin story, finely engineered to set up a franchise."The directorial choices are, for the most part, so lazy, the blockbuster engineering so blatant, that Robin Hood often falls into self-parody. All the more reason for Sarah Palin to love it."

Gothamist

Amanda Seyfried knows exactly what she's doing. Regardless if anyone actually sees her newest film Letters to Juliet or saw her last one Dear John, the combination of the two films (with the addition of Mama Mia!), create a synergistic Pavlovian reaction to her presence on screen that elicits either repulsion or "aww"-ness (depending on your reaction to adolescent RomComs). Whichever camp you're in, you have to admit that it seems like this girl is in everything these days. Seyfried has basically taken the pout route to becoming the Samuel L. Jackson of family-friendly RomComs.Karina Longworth from <a href="http://www.villagevoice.com/2010-05-11/film/letters-to-juliet-film-review/">Village Voice</a> seems to be the only film reviewer not at Cannes right now and has this to say: "Blonde, pillow-topped, and spineless, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) has a secure fact-checking job and is engaged to Victor (Gael GarcÃa Bernal), a hunky restaurateur of indeterminate exotic origin who dangles hot, fresh fettuccine into her mouth in a non-threatening, not-at-all-9 1/2 Weeks-ish way. But Sophie's not satisfied: She really wants to write, an ambition that sets the eyes of both boyfriend and boss aglaze."Gary Winick's flat direction does the material no favors: If Egan and Seyfried have any chemistry, it's framed out of their awkwardly staged climactic kisses."

Gothamist

The idea of some of your friend's having kids is scary. Maybe you've drifted apart from some of the more shady characters in your past, but there are a few kind-hearted individuals who just seem to not really have ever grown up. Their harmless quality is all well-and-good until the day they intentionally or unintentionally reproduce, then things can get pretty real, pretty quick. This is the loose concept behind the new film Daddy Longlegs, directed by brother Ben and Joshua Safdie and based on their recollections of their own father. Reviews have been very good with J. Hoberman from <a href="http://www.villagevoice.com/2010-05-11/film/daddy-longlegs-film-review/">The Voice</a> saying: "Suppose what we call "parenting" is just a situation in which overgrown kids take care of smaller ones? That's the underlying premise of Daddy Longlegs—a funny, fantastic, genuinely alarming quasi-autobiographical cheapster by twentysomething New York brothers Josh and Benny Safdie."This major-league fuckup is so desperately self-absorbed and endlessly self-justifying, he could talk a hole in your head. Apparently modeled on the filmmakers' father, Lenny is a borderline case even more extreme than Ben Stiller's Greenberg—that he's in any sense human is a tribute to Bronstein's performance."

Gothamist

Opening tonight at <a href="http://www.filmforum.org/films/beetle.html">Film Forum</a> is Jessica Oreck's documentary Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo. The film explores Japan's fascination with bugs, and by using interviews, poetry, and video, attempts to explain why.Reviews have been good with Joshua Rothkopf from <a href="http://newyork.timeout.com/articles/film/85651/beetle-queen-conquers-tokyo-film-review">Time Out NY</a> saying: "Manhattanites will be stunned by the sight of people taking bugs into their apartments—gleefully, even. But the Japanese citizens of this delightful documentary (the feature debut of a well-liked animal keeper at the American Museum of Natural History) make no apologies. Respect for insects runs deep in their culture, we learn."By movie’s end, you see flocks of umbrella-adorned commuters in a different light; and what’s often viewed as Japanese humility becomes a doorway to something huge and eternal. Bring the kids."

Gothamist

Every mom's second favorite former hip-hop star Queen Latifah (after Will Smith of course), is back in the film Just Wright, and it's the perfect film to see when you're out with the girls. The hip-hop highness plays a sports trainer who falls in love with a professional basketball player (played by the uncommonly smooth Common) who is undergoing physical rehabilitation. Things get complicated with Latifah's BFF begins goin' after her man too! Unfortunately, the film also stars the one and only Pam Grier and Phylicia Rashad, and the fact that they're not getting top billing and don't appear on the posters, means that they are probably not in nearly enough scenes --proving that there is no justice in the universe.Lisa Rosman from <a href="http://newyork.timeout.com/articles/film/85656/just-wright-film-review">Time Out New York</a> says: "Although it’s replete with solid supporting players and even stronger goodwill, Just Wright buckles under the burden of its pure intentions. Too many auxiliary, moralizing plot points and characters are picked up, only to be suddenly dropped. (As the resident moms, Pam 'Coffy' Grier and Cosby Show star Phylicia Rashad are criminally underused.)"But the real pain is in watching the always-likable Queen stuck in a homegirl version of a Cathy comic. It may tote out a good line or two about keeping it real, but too much of this love triangle rings false."

Gothamist

The auteur of the British working-class, Ken Loach, directs the film Looking for Eric which opens today at <a href="http://www.ifccenter.com/films/looking-for-eric/">The IFC Center</a>. The film follows Eric, a postal worker obsessed with Manchester United, who has reached the end of his rope. His step-sons are out of control, he pines for his ex-wife from thirty years ago, and he just got in a car wreck. In desperation he turns his invisible friend, real life French Soccer master Eric Cantona (who plays himself). Reviews have been positive with A.O. Scott from <a href="http://movies.nytimes.com/2010/05/14/movies/14looking.html?ref=movies">The Times</a> saying: "Mr. Cantona shows up from time to time in Eric’s bedroom, where the two men drink wine, smoke a little grass and exchange philosophical insights. 'We always have more choices than we think,' the footballer observes. 'You must always trust your teammates.' The sentimentality of these scenes is undercut by their frank, understated absurdity, and by the way Mr. Evets, a nimble and instinctive actor, slides back and forth between incredulity and shrugging acceptance of his famous, imaginary friend’s presence."And the film’s riotous climax deftly turns grim social realism into action-slapstick revenge farce. Not something Mr. Loach has tried before, and something he turns out to do rather well."

Gothamist

Starting May 19th at <a href="http://www.ifccenter.com/series/the-cremaster-cycle/">The IFC Center</a> is the most name-dropped of contemporary cinema and the most rarely seen: The Cremaster Cycle. All five films in the cycle will be shown in three programs. They only show this about every two or three years, and because it was a commissioned work, it will never be put on DVD (actually the full Cycle was released in a set, but they only made 20, which were then sold for roughly $100,000 each. Gotta love people with disposable income). This is kind of a rite of passage for cineastas and art snobs, and they only unleash it onto the populace every once in a while in order to keep it relevant. Say what you will about Matthew Barney, the guy knows how to create hype and demand. The chiseled man himself with be at the 7:00 p.m. showing on Thursday.

Gothamist

And then we come to the archetypal killing hippies movie: Punishment Park. Peter Watkins' film will be shown at <a href="http://www.anthologyfilmarchives.org/">Anthology Film Archives</a> starting today and will continue to wreak hand-held hippie killing craziness through the weekend. Not known as Watkins best film, it's in the past week had a slight brush with notoriety, with message boards a twitter over Romain-Gavras' video for <a href="http://vimeo.com/user3148077">M.I.A's "Born Free"</a> and disgruntled commentators pointing out that: "I liked the video better when it was called Punishment Park! Idiots!" (not an actual quote, but similar sentiment was expressed).

Gothamist

"I know that I have put you through hell, and I know that I have been one rough pecker. But from here on out, you are all in my cool book."This weekend at <a href="http://www.landmarktheatres.com/Market/NewYork/NewYork_frameset.htm">The Landmark Theater</a> is Robert Rodriguez's vampire gorefest From Dusk Til Dawn. If you can't wait till Machete comes out, this might help calm you down.

Gothamist

This Saturday at 8 p.m. the <a href="http://www.bam.org/view.aspx?pid=2132">BAM Rose Cinema</a> George Romero comes to Brooklyn! He's showing his film Survival of the Dead and doing a Q & A. You zombie and horror film fans better come out of the woodwork cause this is going to be good.

Gothamist

Weekend Movie Forecast: <em>Robin Hood</em> Vs. <em>Letters To Juliet</em>